Compared to the first five floors, the current area Liang Yue was in lacked any complex cave networks. Footsteps steadily drew closer, and several unfamiliar adventurers came into view.
What identified them was the emblem on the arm of the leading adventurer — a "wine cup," symbolizing the Soma Familia.
"So these guys are from the Soma Familia?"
Liang Yue still had a fairly vivid impression of the Soma Familia. Led by the god Soma, who excelled in winemaking, the Familia had been formed purely out of his interest in brewing.
However, the Familia never actually earned Soma any money, which he didn't seem to mind. As a form of encouragement, he would reward his children with divine wine — delicious in taste, but addictive to adventurers without strong willpower.
Once the greedy Zanis Lustra became the captain, the Familia's atmosphere grew increasingly foul, to the point where "chaotic and disorderly" was the only way to describe it. What made it most memorable to Liang Yue, though…
…was a certain Pallum supporter.
Since every member of the Soma Familia was essentially an addict, Liang Yue found it necessary to be cautious around them.
Simply craving the god's wine was enough to become a target. For supporters at the bottom of the Familia's hierarchy, persecution was the norm. Given that, Liang Yue had little expectation for their character.
Keeping his distance to avoid any petty tricks seemed the best approach.
He didn't linger, and after a brief rest to relax his muscles, feeling his condition restored, he continued along the tunnel. Since this was the only path, running into them was inevitable.
At the same time he spotted them, the middle-aged man at the head of their group noticed the lone adventurer up ahead.
Normally, they would "properly educate" rookies — teaching them that the Dungeon was a place where the strong prey on the weak. But considering their current haul after today's expedition, the man, named Freca, decided against it.
Instead, one of his companions lowered their voice to ask, "Freca… want to make a move?"
"How much do you think an adventurer exploring the 6th floor would be carrying?" the scar-faced middle-aged man shot his teammate a cold, warning glance. "Don't waste time. If you've got that kind of energy, better to head back and get our reward from Captain Zanis."
"And besides…"
"…today we've already had a little bonus."
As he said this, Freca's eyes slid toward the last member of their group — a small Pallum girl with a massive pack on her back, clearly marking her as a supporter.
The man who'd been warned off didn't care in the slightest; just the mention of divine wine had filled his gaze with feverish anticipation.
"Guess this kid's lucky today."
When Freca mentioned the "bonus," the Pallum girl at the back — Liliruca — faltered in her step. She adjusted her cloak to cover a bruise at the corner of her eye, her young face void of expression, though her tightened grip on the pack's straps betrayed her mood.
She had thought about resisting the Familia's abuse, but as a supporter with almost no combat ability, all she could do was find ways to save enough money to escape the mire of the Soma Familia.
Head down, she trailed at the back of the group — until another cloaked adventurer passed by.
On impulse, she looked up, and her eyes met Liang Yue's.
They didn't exchange words, but that brief contact made Lili pause for just an instant before she quickly looked away, memorizing his face, and hurried after her team.
——
Though brief, the eye contact was enough for Liang Yue to clearly recognize her.
Orario wasn't exactly small, and he certainly hadn't expected to encounter Liliruca Arde so soon. What made her so memorable…
…was that she was the infamous Pallum loli with a highly controversial reputation.
Betraying Bell, the one who had helped her, out of her own twisted sense of justice — from an omniscient point of view, Liang Yue's impression of her wasn't good.
Self-destructive, resentful toward adventurers, even using magic to steal adventurers' gear and sell it off as revenge.
Even knowing she had suffered greatly, he felt that grudges should be directed at those who had wronged her. If she had sought revenge only against those who had oppressed her, rather than those who tried to help, his impression of her would have been better.
Liang Yue had no intention of playing saint. If asked how he viewed her, it would be:
"Let go of the urge to save others, and respect their own fate."
——
Pushing the short interlude aside, Liang Yue began thinking about his plans for the rest of the day.
Today's Dungeon earnings wouldn't be as high as yesterday's — minotaurs escaping to the 5th floor were rare, after all — but the loot from killing the "newbie killer" War Shadows should net him around 10,000 valis.
"Lady Hestia's probably working late tonight. I might as well swing by the Hostess of Fertility and pack a dinner to go… treat myself a little."
His thinking was simple — since he wasn't yet able to move to a better place, he'd improve his life through better food instead. A good state of health would naturally help his Dungeon exploration.
Following the familiar route back, the monsters he encountered along the way were dealt with easily, thanks to his steadily improving combat skills.
By the time he emerged from the Dungeon, the sky was already painted with the golden hues of sunset, the thick clouds glowing brilliantly in the light.
He headed to the Guild to exchange his day's haul.
In front of the building, a young half-elf in a black uniform stood with her hands behind her back, glancing around until her eyes locked on an approaching figure walking out of the sunset.
Her serious expression melted into a warm smile as she waved. "Liang Yue."
"Miss Eina."
He returned the greeting politely, not assuming she was waiting just for him. "Are you getting off work now?"
In truth, it was the opposite. Eina adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, her tone serious. "You're one of the adventurers I'm responsible for. If you didn't come back from the Dungeon safely, that wouldn't look good on my work record."
She then shifted topics. "So, how was your Dungeon run today?"
"Fairly smooth. Sorry for making you worry, Miss Eina."
Liang Yue's eyes flickered with mild surprise at her mention of "work record," but he didn't press the matter. Shaking the pouch full of magic stones, he gestured toward the counter. "I should go turn these in for valis first."
"Go on, then."
——
The exchange was straightforward — he handed over the loot, they tallied it up, and paid him.
Today's total: 15,700 valis.
The glittering gold coins put him in a great mood as he packed them into his pouch and left the Guild.
Eina was still at the entrance. For such a responsible half-elf who even worried about his safety, Liang Yue naturally had a good impression.
"Miss Eina, are you waiting for another adventurer?"
"I already found them."
She looked ahead, and Liang Yue followed her gaze to see several adventurers returning from the Dungeon. As one of the most popular Guild employees, she naturally handled many adventurers.
Still, she was giving him special attention, which was no mere formality.
Liang Yue smiled sincerely. "Thank you for looking after me lately, Miss Eina. I'd like to treat you to a meal as thanks. Since you still have other adventurers to meet, perhaps I can invite you when you're free."
Her clear eyes sparkled with a teasing glint. "And what if the adventurer I'm waiting for… is you?"
"So… if Liang Yue-kun wants to treat me to dinner, I might just say yes right now~"
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